


In the Bleak Midwinter

by Wind_Ryder



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/M, Five Times, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Mission Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:21:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23885161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wind_Ryder/pseuds/Wind_Ryder
Summary: Five times Chris met Leon, and one time they made plans.
Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy & Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy/Ada Wong
Comments: 11
Kudos: 51





	In the Bleak Midwinter

###  The first time they met, 

Chris didn’t know what to make of him. 

The kid stood quietly at the door, not meeting Chris’ eyes. But his limbs vibrated and it seemed as if he were struggling to stay still. And sure enough, eventually, he couldn’t. He sidestepped around Chris, and slid into the room. Nervous and jittery, the kid glanced at the clock more than once. Hands twisting around his shirt sleeves. 

It was off-putting. 

Wrong. 

“Got somewhere you need to be?” Chris asked, watching as the the kid jumped badly. Twisting about to look at him and blinking with wide eyes. 

“Yes.” The kid winced. Bit his lip. Turning a little to the side before muttering, “They don’t know I’m gone,” in a tone so grim Chris felt alarm bells going off in the back of his head. 

Chris fought back against the agitation that grew in his chest. He bit his tongue against sharp words questioning the kid about his curfew and if his parents were waiting for him. He seemed too flighty for that kind of thing. Forcing air into his lungs, Chris asked, “Who doesn’t know you’re gone?” Modulating his tone so as if he were talking to a hostage. 

It didn’t seem to help. The kid’s shoulders remained slumped. Head tilted to the side. “It doesn’t matter.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled piece of paper. Took a step towards Chris and held it out.

Taking it, Chris squinted at his sister’s email address. Neatly printed at the top. A message directly beneath. 

_ Leon, hope you’re doing well. Sorry I haven’t reached out in a while. I ran into some trouble looking for Chris. I’m on Rockfort Island, and I could really use his help right about now. Is there anyway you can track him down? I’m a bit stuck at the moment, and I think I’m in trouble.  _

_ Claire _

Short, sweet, and to the point. “Leon…” Chris muttered. “That’s you?” 

Surprise flashes across the kid’s feature, and he still doesn’t quite meet Chris’s eyes. “Yeah,” he mumbled, “Yeah, sorry.  _ Yeah, _ I’m—I’m Leon Scott Kennedy.” The kid awkwardly held out his hand, and Chris shook it before it could be withdrawn. As soon as he could, though, the boy retreated. Uncomfortable with human contact. Nervous. Jumpy. Chris had no idea what kind of person his sister had gotten involved with, but he didn’t like it. 

“You know Claire?” Chris asked, re-reading the note. 

“Yes.” The kid lifted his right thumb to his lips. Biting at his nail. “I…met her a couple of months ago.” 

“Must have made a hell of a first impression.” 

Leon just shrugged. “I felt the same way. Can you help her?” 

“Rockfort Island…I know that name.” He had seen it recently, he was sure. He just couldn’t remember where. And what would she need  _ his  _ help for? Claire was remarkably self sufficient. 

“It’s owned by Umbrella,” Leon told him quietly. Chris’s head whipped around. 

“What did you say?” 

The kid didn’t move. His feet remained planted. But he finally,  _ finally,  _ lifted his eyes. Something dull settled behind his gaze. Exhaustion. Or something...something else. Chris couldn’t name it. But when the boy spoke, he did so tonelessly. “Rockfort Island?” he repeated. “It’s one of their assets.” 

Chris stalked closer. Stepping into the boy’s space, and only slightly surprised when the boy doesn’t flinch or move away. Instead, he stood still. Waiting as Chris snapped, “How the hell do you know that?” 

“I looked into it before I came looking for you,” Leon replied. “I’d have gone after her myself but…I can’t. Can you help her?” 

“What is she even  _ doing _ there?” Finally, a reaction flickered over the kid’s face. His lips tightened and his nostrils flared.

“Looking for  _ you _ ,” Leon all but spat. “She’s been looking for you for  _ months. _ ” Judgment flew off his tongue, as quick as a viper. “You  _ completely _ disappeared and she’s been worried about you.” 

_ “You _ seem to have found me okay.” Judging from the date on the email, it had only taken Leon two days to track him down. Leon scowled though, and shook his head. 

“That’s because I—” he stopped short. Glancing at the clock again, and shaking his head. “Can you help her?” 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t explain—”

“—I need to go,” Leon interrupted, walking toward the door. He doesn’t look back. 

“Hey- wait a minute!” Chris snapped a hand out and caught his arm. Leon jerked in his grasp, turning and striking out hard and fast, shoving Chris back so violently and instinctively that Chris immediately stepped out of range and held his hands up. “Calm down,” he insisted firmly. Leon’s eyes were wide, and his breaths were coming in short bursts. He was shaking visibly, trying so hard to stay still. “What’s going on?” Chris pressed. 

“Raccoon City,” Leon told him nonsensically. 

“What?” 

“That’s where I met Claire. She was in Raccoon City looking for  _ you _ .” Unease twisted in Chris’ gut. He shook his head. 

“When?” 

“When do you think?” Leon spat. “The day of the outbreak.” 

“Oh God,” Chris raised a hand to his mouth as bile threatened to rise up within him. Leon glanced back towards the clock, and shifted his feet slightly. He shook his head again, then forced a breath of air into his lungs.

“We…we worked together. We got out. Us and…a little girl—Sherry.” 

“She wasn’t bit? She wasn’t infected?” 

“No. She-she’s fine. She wasn’t bit.” Chris squeezed his eyes shut and sent up a prayer.  _ Thank God _ . “We made it out before the city was purged. After that…we split up. She continued looking for you, and I kept bringing Sherry north. This...this is the first I’ve heard from her. And...she asked—” Leon shook his head. Obviously trying to clear his thoughts. “She needs your help.”

“How did you find me?” Chris asked again. 

This time, he watched as the grimace twists Leon’s lips into a deep scowl. How his eyes turned down. His voice was hollow. Entirely emotionless. “We were picked up by the government. I…have access now. I tracked you from there. I don’t have much time. I wasn’t supposed to leave.” 

“The government?  _ That’s  _ who you ran away from?” 

“Yeah, and I need to get back before they notice I’m gone. I wasn’t supposed to leave. Adam said he could get me 48 hours...I need to catch a plane. I have to go back or—I  _ need _ to go.” This time, the kid was pleading. Watery eyes raising from the floor to meet Chris’. It wasn’t ideal. Hell, it wasn’t even  _ good _ , but Chris nodded his head. He understood. It didn’t matter how many questions he had for Leon, all that mattered now was that Chris had a place to start. He could figure out the rest later. If Claire was sending an SOS asking Leon to find him…especially after she’d already been searching for him for months…something was wrong. Leon could wait. 

“Go,” Chris said. A look of tragic relief crossed Leon’s face. He was  _ grateful _ for this. Grateful, and at the same time, miserable. Chris watched conflict tear apart at the kid’s features. 

“Let me know…if…”

“I will,” Chris promised. He held up the letter, Leon’s receiving address printed right beside Claire’s. “Your email still good?” 

“For now,” Leon nodded. It wasn’t comforting. Chris knew full well that there was a very good possibility that Leon may never get a chance to check that email again. Especially if he had gone rogue looking for Chris. 

“I’ll keep you updated.” 

“Appreciated.” Leon nodded his head, and was out the door in seconds. He didn’t say goodbye. Chris looked down at the letter in his hand. Damn it, Claire. What the hell had she gotten herself into this time?

____________________________

_ In the bleak mid-winter  _

_ Frosty wind made moan,  _

_ E arth stood hard as iron,  _

_ Water like a stone;  _

_ Snow had fallen,  _

_ snow on snow,  _

_ Snow on snow,  _

_ In the bleak mid-winter  _

_ Long ago. _

____________________________

###  The second time they met, 

it was a little better. Chris had told Claire about his strange meeting with Leon, and she’d insisted that they meet up with him to find out what was going on. Leon’s email stopped working after Claire’s exchange, and it took them nearly a month before they could find someone to help them out. Leon was apparently one of the government’s best kept secrets. Hidden away out of sight and mind. It took another month before they received a covert message in return, stating that Leon could meet Claire  _ alone _ by the Memorial Pond in Washington DC. 

“He’s in DC?” Claire had asked curiously, frowning at the message in confusion. Chris shrugged helplessly. He’d only met the man once, and it’s not like the meeting was particularly informative. Still, they packed up their bags and went. For now, it was the best they could do. 

On a cold, wet, and dreary Sunday, with Claire bundled up in a thick coat and Chris contemplating whether or not he wanted to go through the effort of getting gloves, they waited for Leon. Chris stood back, loitering and watching over his sister as she waited for Leon to arrive. He had no intentions of making his presence known, but he did want to see how this was going to go. The message said Claire had to meet Leon alone. And she was. Sort of. 

Right on time, Leon arrived in a black sedan that pulled over to the side of the road to let him out. Chris watched as he exited the back of the car, head down and hands in his pockets. He looked both ways before crossing the street, and found Claire immediately. His driver, chaperone, or whatever they were calling it these days, stood patiently at the car - watching the proceedings intently. 

Claire all but threw herself at Leon when he got close, arms going around his neck immediately. Chris waited for the reaction Leon had back in his hotel when  _ Chris  _ had grabbed him, but it didn’t come. Instead, Leon gingerly hugged her back. Arms wrapping around Claire’s back and ducking his head against her neck. 

All the while, his chaperone watched from the car, pointedly looking their direction and never taking his eyes off them. That was fine, Chris and Claire had planned for this. Claire would pass a message to Leon to meet somewhere else, and if he could, Leon would go with them. Chris would meet them there. Now, it was only a matter of time before they knew if he would accept. 

Chris watched, waiting, and assessing, hoping that this didn’t end up going south somehow. He didn’t trust Leon. Not yet. He respected him for what he’d done in Raccoon City, but everything about this meeting was sketchy and unbelievable. He couldn’t accept it until he knew that Claire was safe.

Eventually, Claire stepped back and cupped Leon’s cheeks. Chris couldn’t hear what she told him, but it made Leon smile somewhat and shake his head. Shifting into a better position, Chris gave him a more thorough once over. The kid looked exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was more pale than he’d been only a few months earlier. He’d lost weight in since then too. Frankly, Chris thought, Leon looked like hell.

Claire was saying something else now, eagerly trying to get Leon to agree to go with her. Like before, Leon kept his eyes down, as though he needed a moment to consider just what he could get away with. He looked at the driver briefly, and then quietly agreed. Claire took his hand and quickly led him away from the pond. That was Chris’s queue. He was gone before anyone noticed he was there. 

Chris slipped between trees and buildings, carefully navigating the streets of DC as he watched Claire and Leon move. They were being followed, of course. The driver and at least four other agents were tracking their every step. It wasn’t too hard to interfere with them, and while Chris knew that it wouldn’t stop them entirely, any time he could give Claire would be to their benefit. 

He stepped into the hotel and ran up the stairs to the right floor, letting himself into their room only minutes before Claire led Leon in. Leon’s feet slowed to a halt when he saw Chris, and Chris could see the moment of indecision cross over his face. “I wanted to introduce you,” Claire cut in, taking Leon’s hand and squeezing it tight. 

“We’ve met,” Leon reminded.

He still wasn’t moving of his own volition, so Claire dragged him. Sighing, “ _ Officially _ , then,” as she brought them together. “Leon, this is my brother Chris. And Chris, this is Leon.” 

“It’s...uh, nice to meet you...officially I guess,” Leon said softly. He held out his hand and Chris shook it. 

“Likewise, Claire’s told me a lot about you since we last spoke. Nice to finally have a chance to actually talk.” 

“Yeah, I don’t know for how long.” Leon glanced over his shoulder. The door was shut, but Chris could see the concern mounting. Fear floated off him in waves. It’d been a long time since Chris met someone scared of something not BOW related. For someone who theoretically  _ worked _ for the government, Leon was awfully nervous about its agents. 

“So, um...how’s Sherry?” Claire asked, turning to Leon hopefully. From how jumpy Leon was, Chris didn’t hold much hope that the girl they’d saved would be coming for this visit any time soon. True enough, at Claire’s comment, Leon just ducked his head.

“She’s...all right,” he informed uselessly.

“Where is she?” 

“In a secure facility,” Leon told her. It wasn’t the answer either of them had been expecting. Claire openly gaped at him, mouth falling wide as she blinked in confusion. 

“What’s that mean?” 

“The government picked us up three weeks after Raccoon City,” Leon told them in a rush, he spared one final glance over his shoulder, and then quickly continued. At any moment one of those agents could be at the door listening in. “They were concerned we were infected...and had us quarantined. I didn’t tell them you were there, Claire. You or Ada.”

“How did we meet then?” Claire asked.

“You and Sherry knew each other from before the incident, I took Sherry out alone. I...briefly met you on my way into town while you were on your way out. Us knowing each other and Sherry is a coincidence.” 

“Why all the subterfuge?” Chris asked. Leon gave him a brittle smile. 

“Sherry was placed in protective custody by the US Government to keep her safe from someone named Albert Wesker who’s after the G-virus-”

“ _ Wesker? _ ” Chris hissed. Leon blinked slowly, before nodding. 

“Yes. He’s...apparently interested in what it can do. She’s being kept in a secure location to ensure that she’s safe from him, and that the virus is stable and non-contagious.”

“And you just let them do that?” Claire hissed. 

Leon flinched. “I—I didn’t  _ let  _ them do anything. In exchange for working for them...giving intel on the T-virus and any other BOW pathogen that may be developed now or in the future, they’ll keep her safe and give her access to everything a kid could want. They...I got them to agree to let you visit her. You’re a...family friend.”

“Leon, that’s-” 

“How tight is your leash?” Chris asked, cutting her off before she could complain. 

“Apparently three minutes,” Leon replied. There was a telling noise by the door, and Chris had to force himself not to curse. He’d hoped they’d have more time than this. But this was starting to border on the ridiculous. This wasn’t voluntary service. Those agents weren’t there to make sure that Leon was safe, they were there to make sure he didn’t disappear. 

He  _ had  _ gotten into trouble coming after him in Europe. Chris grit his teeth. He wondered what they’d done. Leon had ran away from them, hopped a plane, and flew to Paris. He tracked Chris down, hastily gave him information, then quickly flew back as fast as he could. It clearly wasn’t enough to keep him safe from harm. They wanted him tagged and monitored. They wanted him watched. Unease trickled up Chris’ spine. He didn’t like this. It seemed so...wrong. 

Claire wanted to ask more, that much was obvious, but it wasn’t the time or place to discuss it. Hell, Chris considered, they probably wouldn’t be able to discuss it for a while. Leon had asked to meet Claire alone, and as far as anyone outside was concerned, he wasn’t there. With agents at the door, Chris couldn’t say a word. He kept quiet while Claire talked, and he gave the kid another once over. 

Fading. Leon was fading away right before their eyes. He  _ wasn’t _ all right, and Chris doubted things would get better any time soon. 

____________________________

_Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him_

_Nor earth sustain;_

_Heaven and earth shall flee away_

_When He comes to reign:_

_In the bleak mid-winter_

_A stable-place sufficed_

_The Lord God Almighty,_

_Jesus Christ._

____________________________

###  The third time they met,

it had been a complete accident. It was 2003 and he was busy setting up the BSAA. There were meetings and business trips and BOW sightings that all required his specific attention, and he hardly knew what country he was in half the time, let alone who he was surrounding himself with. 

He’d heard about Leon frequently in the past five years. True to his word, Claire had been given access to visit Sherry as often as she wanted. After a year or so, she was even permitted to stay with Leon while she was in DC. She sent Chris status reports on the situation, remaining remarkably subtle and even as she dove into details on the subtext of the dilemma. 

And  _ everything _ with Leon and Sherry was about subtext. It was driving her mad. 

Just as they’d suspected, Leon’s service to the government really was strictly focused on securing Sherry’s happiness and well being. Something that was frequently held over his head. Claire was quick to call Chris and rant about how Leon’s visiting rights had been revoked because of some strange misdemeanor that no one could figure out. She also had a lot to say about Derek Simmons who had been put in charge of Sherry’s personal care and well-being. 

Simmons clearly, in Claire’s opinion, loathed Leon with every fiber of his being and made it his personal vendetta to see that Leon was rarely able to visit Sherry. The only one capable of securing a few hours of visitation rights each month was Leon’s official handler, Adam Benford. He arranged for Leon to see the girl, despite Simmons misgivings, and was also the man responsible for Claire’s visitation rights as well. 

All the while, Leon was making a name for himself. After four years of training, he’d been sent out on his first mission to a suspected outbreak in South America. Chris had read the mission report when it had been filed. It had been impressive work, though Chris wasn’t pleased to see that another young girl had been taken into ‘protective-custody’ by the United States Government. 

Claire had given him the play-by-play afterwards. Apparently Leon’s supervision had lifted enough for him to start talking about the things that he was doing, and Claire wasn’t impressed. “They’re sending him out there to fight those  _ things! _ ” she raved. 

“I fight those  _ things _ all the time,” Chris pointed out.

“You don’t have a gun to your head,” she retorted. He refrained from telling her that neither did Leon. He  _ could  _ leave the government if he wanted to. He’d never see Sherry again, but it didn’t seem like he was seeing her now. So Leon  _ could _ leave. He hadn’t, yet, though, which meant that at least in part - this was a choice he’d made. 

Chris was on his way to a meeting with another Pharmaceutical company that wanted to discuss investing into the BSAA, when he ran into the younger man. Chris was trying to figure out his directions, when saw Leon standing on a bridge. Looking out over the river that flowed beneath them. It took Chris a while to put a name to the face, longer than it should have considering how many pictures Claire insisted on taking and sending to him. Leon’s hair was shorter than it had been in a while, and one of his arms was in a sling. There was a harsh bruise on the side of his face, and considering the prevalence of herbs these days, Chris was surprised to see the injuries at all. 

“Leon?” he asked, calling out to the young man. He looked up and he blinked at Chris slowly for a long while, before realization kicked in. 

“Chris?” he asked tentatively, and Chris nodded. He jogged over, until he was only arms reach away. He had no idea what he wanted to say, nor even if he was able to talk to him here. He had half a mind to look for whoever was most likely tailing Leon today. 

His intention must have been obvious, though, because Leon laughed suddenly and shook his head. Holding up his bare wrist, Leon pointed to it. “Tracker,” he replied. “Saves a lot of man hours.” 

“They put a tracker in you?” Chris asked, feeling suddenly revolted beyond measure. 

“Yeah, it’s got a satellite hook up, so there’s an eye in the sky. Don’t look up.” It took everything Chris had not to do just that. His stomach was clenching unhappily. This was even worse than before. 

“They put a  _ tracker _ in you?” Leon didn’t seem to understand how twisted that was. Instead, his head tilted somewhat, revealing the livid bruises on his skin. 

“Yes?” he drawled uncertainly. 

“ _ Why _ ?” 

“So they know where I am on missions?” Leon asked him cautiously. 

“But it’s  _ in  _ you.” 

“Well, yes...it won’t get lost or damaged. They’ll always know where to find me.” Chris half wondered if Leon had lost his mind. 

“Don’t you think that’s a little bit...concerning? You have no privacy at all.”

“It’s better than being stalked by twelve agents every time I step outside,” Leon pointed out. “Besides, if anything goes wrong, they can help me. They can get me out.” Which was...alarming. He almost sounded like he liked the idea of being tracked. He was defending it. 

“You can slip tails, you can get an external device. They didn’t need to  _ tag _ you like an animal.” For the first time, Leon’s expression started to turn pensive. Uncertain. Like he didn’t want to continue this conversation. 

“How’ve you been?” he asked, voice stretching slightly as if it would help distract Chris from the human rights violations that were mounting in the back of his head. 

But if Leon was that desperate to change the subject, Chris would throw him a bone. “I've been Fine. You? You look like you’ve had it rough.” Leon hesitated, lips pulling into a frown before he shook his head. 

“This is nothing, I’m handling it.” 

“What happened?” 

“Nothing much, you know how it is.” He really, really didn’t. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“I had to check up on something, but it’s all been taken care of now. I’m just waiting to get back home.” 

“Home?” 

“Yeah, I have a flight leaving in a couple of hours. Just figured I’d take in the scenery before going back.” 

“Look...Leon…”

“I’m all right, Chris.” Leon smiled at him. “But look out for yourself okay? Good luck with the BSAA.”

Leon turned and walked away before Chris could say another word. 

After his meeting, after he returned to his hotel, after he talked to Claire briefly on the phone for whatever updates she had on her end, Chris opened his laptop and started to do some research. 

The BSAA was an NGO, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have any government contacts. He wanted to know just what was going on, and just what Leon had been doing there. He hated it even more by the minute. 

Especially when he didn't find so much as a _whisper_ regarding Leon or the government's movements.

____________________________

_Enough for Him, whom cherubim_

_Worship night and day,_

_A breast full of milk_

_And a manger full of hay;_

_Enough for Him, whom angels_

_Fall down before, T_

_he ox and ass and camel_

_Which adore._

____________________________

###  The fourth time they met, 

it was on purpose. After the WilPharma incident, the US Government was working on a serious PR problem. The world was convinced that they were purposefully creating BOWs and testing them on their own population. The UN had demanded the US reveal their files and open their doors to a full inquiry, and the US was insisting that they had done nothing wrong. 

Then the president's daughter was kidnapped, which, frankly, was a testament to how bad things had gotten. Chris had read Leon’s report on that. It bordered on the unbelievable and every word was horrifying. Another strand of BOW, this one more perverse than the last. Damn it all. 

Chris wasn’t completely surprised when he got a call from Claire telling him that she’d received an invitation from Leon’s handler to talk, but he  _ was _ surprised that he was invited as well. Adam Benford was a an unassuming man that was old enough to be Chris’ father, and he sat before both Chris and Claire in a carefully selected restaurant where they could discuss his intentions. Chris wasn’t sure what he was supposed to make of Adam. He was friendly, and polite, but he was also a politician who was keenly aware of his current position and what was expected of him. 

“I’d like to open a dialogue between the UN representatives and your various organizations, TerraSave and the BSAA,” Adam informed them. 

“Why?” 

“We’ve been fighting against BOWs for years now, responding to messes after they’ve been made and always working a step behind in all incidents. We haven’t been able to get ahead of anything, not like your groups have. I’d like you to be there to be more transparency as to what we’ve been working on, as well as illuminating the fact that our organizations _can_ work together.” 

“And you want _us_ to help promote this peachy image of you?” Claire spat. 

“Ms. Redfield, I understand that you’re skeptical of me and our government,” Adam started. 

“I’m skeptical of how you treat your  _ employees _ .” For a moment, Adam’s expression faltered. Then, it turned somber. 

“What happened with Leon...was unfortunate.” 

“ _ Unfortunate? _ He has  _ five  _ sub-dermal trackers in him, he’s being shipped all around the world on missions back to back with no break in between, he’s barely even allowed to  _ see  _ Sherry, and every time I talk to him he’s  _ exhausted. _ ”

“He’s one of our greatest assets,” 

“He’s a  _ person! _ ” Claire hissed. 

“A person I care greatly for, Miss. Redfield!” Adam snapped back. “Do not believe that you are the only one in the world who cares for Leon Kennedy. You would be greatly mistaken.” 

“What do you want?” Chris asked. Enough of the posturing. Adam knew their position, they knew his. It wasn’t going to change either of their minds. 

“I want you to help us improve the relations between the government, TerraSave, and the BSAA. As you correctly surmised, Leon is the one connection between all of this, and while he’s never had direct contact with  _ you _ Chris, he is close with your sister.” It took everything Chris had to not correct or react to that statement. They didn’t know. They’d kept their meetings brief and quiet. The government didn’t know Leon had spoken to him. Leon had never said a word. Good for him.

“We’ll meet with him,” Chris agreed.  Meeting with Leon was like trying to schedule a dinner date in North Korea. It was rare, and likely never to happen. That the government was willing to set this up meant that he and Claire had another rare opportunity to see Leon, make sure that he really was all right. It was worth it, for that alone. 

For the first time in a long while,  _ they _ were in a position of power. The government needed their cooperation and their willingness to assist with their PR campaign. They could make demands to Sherry and Leon’s care. They could make it work. Somehow, they could influence this. 

“I’ll arrange the press conference,” Adam assured them. He thanked them, stood up, and left. 

Two weeks later, the call came, and the meeting was set up. Everyone was talking about how the top agents and representatives of the US Government, the BSAA, and TerraSave were meeting to discuss the best way to address the growing BOW concern. Leon stood with Adam, never sparing them a glance, as the press corps came and went. 

Then they were quietly escorted to a room where they were told they would be left alone to discuss the growing security concerns. They were being recorded, everything they did would be monitored and jotted down for review in a secure file. 

Chris looked at Leon, and was relieved to see that he was mostly in one piece this time. He was dressed well, his hair was still absurd, and there didn’t seem to be any marks or abrasions on him. He smiled to Claire, and hugged her tight the moment they were left alone. Then Claire went through the motions of introducing Chris for the third time.  _ Officially _ official. It made them both smile. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Leon told him. “After all these years.” 

“Likewise, it feels like I’ve known you forever,” Chris returned. This whole farce was absurd. 

They sat down then, and settled into business immediately. 

_ He’s brilliant, _ Chris discovered almost immediately. Leon made connections quickly and he had a strong grasp on the technology and influence of BOWs in warfare. They both asked him about his experience with the Plaga, and he gave them a detailed report of his findings. His answers were clinical, but Chris could read between the lines. 

Leon danced over the fact he’d been infected with the Plaga, but he didn’t hesitate to describe symptoms and the biochemistry associated with a full infestation. He had prepared sketches and imprints for the machine used to remove the Plaga, and provided as much information as he could when it came to overcoming and eliminating it as a threat.

“Right now, there aren’t any samples available for testing,” Leon explained. “Although...it is believed that a terrorist group does have access to the Plaga samples that were harvested by the Los Illuminados. I’ve collected all the notes Luis Sera created in regards to the Plaga here.”

He gave each of them identical files. 

Their meeting took hours. They poured over Chris’ work against Umbrella and bringing down Wesker as well as Claire’s work with TerraSave and the challenges that she was currently facing. 

“They want us to put in a good word for the US Government stating that you are cooperating with the UN investigation and that you have nothing to hide,” Chris told him. Leon looked right at him, and he didn’t even bother to hide his amusement at the comment. “Do you believe that the government has been responsible for any BOW attack?” 

“I believe that select individuals in the government may have been involved. However they were not sanctioned by the government itself, and as to who those individuals are...I have no knowledge or records to prove anything on that front.” 

Short sweet and to the point, Leon was nothing if not immersed in the political web of the world. Chris nodded his head. He could understand that. He really could. Leon wasn’t in a position to say anymore, and he wouldn’t be. Not for a while. 

Claire pressed a little longer, but Leon carefully navigated around anything he couldn’t divulge. He wasn’t shy about saying anything that could make the government look bad, he freely admitted that they didn’t have the best practices, however he never threw anyone under the bus and he made it clear that they were working to correct all the mistakes they’d made in the past. 

It was a start. 

Adam and a few others returned at noon and they broke their conference for lunch. Chris watched as Adam and Leon sat next to each other, unsurprised in the least how comfortable they were in each other’s presence. Leon worshipped Adam. He looked to him for everything, demurred when Adam gave him a pointed look, grinned at private jokes, and teased openly. They were close, very close. Claire had said that Adam had been Leon’s handler and main point of contact since he was...recruited...and after all this time, it was obvious that their relationship had grown into a true friendship. 

Chris was still trying to figure out which came first: Stockholm or Lima syndrome. Both were prevalent. 

“Your meeting seems to have gone well,” Adam noted. 

“Yes,” Chris agreed. “It did. There’s a lot for us to work on.”

“I agree. I hope we can continue this beneficial relationship in the future.” 

“I want some conditions met before that,” Claire interceded. Leon frowned as he looked at her, clearly surprised by her request. They hadn’t discussed it with him earlier. There’d been no point. He couldn’t approve anything, and almost all of Claire’s conditions revolved around  _ him _ . 

“And what might they be?” Adam asked. 

“Checks and balances put in place for the monitoring of all BOW samples that come in and out of the country, as well as routine assessments by the BSAA, TerraSave, or a sanctioned UN task force proving that the work you’re conducting on BOWs is for vaccination and antidote purposes  _ only  _ and that you’re not weaponizing such samples.” 

“That’s...reasonable,” Adam permitted. “We had planned to volunteer such efforts ourselves.” 

“Full disclosure on any and all developments that the US has with any BOW outbreak and their response.” Chris continued. 

“With respect, we’ll make reports to the appropriate parties, but you know as well as I do, public awareness in certain circumstances needs to be kept at a minimal.” 

“Agreed, and that’s fine, but there will be reports and investigations into all outbreaks conducted by the BSAA, and your cooperation in those investigations is key to proving your government isn’t responsible.” 

“Of course.” Adam nodded his head and didn’t seem the least bit surprised by their demands. “Is that all?” 

“No,” Claire spat. She glanced towards Leon, and Leon’s frown deepened. “Leon’s able to see Sherry  _ whenever  _ he wants to.” 

“Claire-” Leon sat forward in his chair, and Adam reached out to place a hand on his arm. It kept him from saying anything, but he turned to Adam with wide eyes. Pleading almost. 

_ Pleading for what? _

“You’d bandy the government’s reputation for his ability to see a _ child?” _ Adam asked. He didn’t even sound upset. Amused was a better word for it. Chris could almost see his eyes twinkling from across the table, and it set off alarm bells in his head. 

“Yes,” Claire told him shortly. “And I’m not done.”

“Go on.” 

“He’s treated like a real employee of the government. With a real paycheck, and a real tax return and service record put in place. After this stunt, he’s not a ghost anymore.” 

“And?” 

“That means vacation, and time off, and sick days, and furloughs, and anything else that a standard military based government or secret service agent has access to. He’s your  _ agent _ not your  _ slave _ or your  _ prisoner _ , you can’t  _ treat him  _ like that.” 

“Agreed.” 

“And the trackers get removed,” Claire tacked on quickly. 

“No.” Surprisingly, Leon said it at the same time as Adam, and he was  _ not  _ happy. He glared at Claire, posture going stiff and tense despite being open and friendly all day. He was furious, and Chris didn’t have the slightest idea as to why. Claire looked like she’d been struck, blinking rapidly as Leon barreled on. “That’s  _ not _ your decision, and it’s not your request to make.  _ No _ .” 

“Leon it’s barbaric!” 

“It’s  _ my  _ body, and my choice. I want them in, Claire.” 

“ _ Why!?”  _

“Because I want them to be able to come after me if something goes wrong!” Leon hissed. “I’m not fighting in units like the BSAA, I don’t have a squad to fight with. I’m on my own almost every time, and I want those trackers in. It is not your request to make. The answer is  _ no _ .” 

“Leon-”

“No.” He pushed himself out from the table and started towards the door. Claire called for him one last time, but he left without saying goodbye. Chris hadn’t felt like he’d made a misstep this badly since the Spencer Mansion mission. 

He sighed and shook his head, placing a hand on Claire’s shoulder and settling her in her seat. They’d overstepped. Badly. 

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do for him,” Adam told them politely. “I do. I can certainly manage those institutional changes and give him the leave time he deserves. As for Sherry...I should be able to convince her guardian to lighten his restrictions in this case. But those trackers...they’re as much his choice as our request. There were alternatives. He chose these.”

“He  _ chose  _ to be tagged like a dog?” Claire spat.

“Yes,” Adam stood up. “Sometimes, Ms. Redfield, knowing someone is there looking out for you is just as important as knowing that you’ll never be lost.” He tipped his head to them. “Send over the documentation, and we’ll sign up the agreement. Good day, Representatives.” 

Then he was gone. 

Chris hated how the meeting ended. He felt like a fool. A daft fool who made unreasonable requests and had breached the trust of a friend. They shouldn’t have pushed. Not without talking to Leon about it first. There  _ had _ been time to talk, Claire could have gotten a message to him. They should have done it better, instead of springing this on him last minute. 

_ Damn it all.  _

Telling Claire he’d meet her for dinner later, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and he walked out of the conference hall. He slipped down out the backdoor and headed towards a nearby park. He felt like such an idiot. 

Sighing heavily, he almost missed Leon leaning against a tree not far away, looking down at a handheld and talking to someone on the screen. Chris’ feet slowed to a halt as he looked at the young agent. He wasn’t as tense as he was before, instead he was slumped backwards and had his head angled down. A smile was playing on his features. 

“You should have taken them up on their offer,” a woman said on the phone. 

“Well, if I did that, how would you ever know where I was?” Leon asked, teasing and tilting his head to the left. He was smiling, small and simple, and Chris heard the women laugh indelicately. A snort more than anything else. 

“Please, as if I couldn’t do that already.” 

“Yeah, but now you really don’t have any excuse.” 

“Hmm...I suppose you’re right, it does make you  _ so _ easy to pin down. Maybe it’s too easy, though? Maybe I like a challenge.”

“You could always  _ not  _ check the data.” 

“I could,” she agreed, still laughing. 

“I’m sure you can find a way to make it interesting. You always do.” 

“Now Leon, you’re giving me far too much credit.” 

“I’m really not. Catch me if you can, Ada,” Leon told her, winking once then flipping the phone closed. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, Chris started to make his way over more purposefully. 

“Hey,” he called out. Leon startled, looking up and quickly sliding the phone into his pocket. 

“Hey,” he replied cautiously.

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be.” Leon shook his head. “Really...I...I understand how it looks. I do. I get it. But-”

“But it’s nice knowing that if you’re lost, you’ll be found.” It’s nice knowing that whoever it was he was speaking to, she’d be able to find him if he ever needed her. If she needed him, she’d know where he’d be. Damn it all. They could have ruined whatever small link he had to someone living in the outside world. Someone he cared about. 

“Yeah,” Leon nodded. “Yeah, exactly.” 

“Come on,” Chris motioned back the way he’d come. “I owe you a beer.” Leon’s nose scrunched as he stepped closer. 

“Since when?”

“Since forever. I never thanked you properly for saving my sister’s life...twice now!” 

“Well, I’ll drink to that.” Leon smiled, and Chris’ sins were washed away.

Chris never asked about the girl. It wasn’t his business, and besides - Leon seemed to have it well under control. 

____________________________

_Angels and archangels_

_May have gathered there,_

_Cherubim and seraphim_

_Thronged the air,_

_But only His mother_

_In her maiden bliss,_

_Worshipped the_ _Beloved_

_With a kiss._

____________________________

  
  


###  The fifth time they met, 

Chris could have done without. In fact, he knew Leon felt the same way. It was during Chris’s dark years. Jill was supposedly dead, and he was taking on every job he could to try to prove she was still alive. They never found her body, and that meant that there was a chance. There had to be a chance. 

Chris had been leading a team through a town where reports of a T-virus outbreak had occurred. When they arrived, everything was in chaos. The outbreak was bad, and local authorities were quickly losing the battle to keep things contained from going to neighboring areas. A region wide evacuation was in effect and dozens of boot were on the ground trying to fix this before it got any worse. 

The mission was hell. It was day in and day out of violence without end. Everyone in Chris’ unit had been inoculated already, but it didn’t change the fact that every new encounter was a horrifying one. On the fifth day of the mess, while they were still trying to talk the government out of purging the city for good (Chris was so tired of seeing those smoke plumes telling him another hundred thousand lives were lost and forgotten about), when they ran into Leon. 

They’d received a report that the center of the outbreak was an abandoned power plant near the river. They’d gone in, hoping to find clues as to who was responsible for this mess. They’d had to fight their way to the lower levels of the facility, and there they’d heard the booming roar of a Tyrant.

“What the hell,” Chris cursed, motioning for his men to get into position. The ground shook beneath them, and Chris urged them forwards. He threw open one door and stepped out into what appeared to be an observation deck. 

It was chaos down below. The room was crawling with T-Virus victims, and in the middle of them all was Leon, the Tyrant, and a cowering man who was all but clinging to Leon’s back. “You have to  _ shoot  _ them,” Leon hissed struggling to get rid of the standard infected while at the same time ducking and weaving around the Tyrant’s swiping limbs. 

The man at Leon’s side had a gun, but he was frozen in shock, barely capable of aiming it let alone firing it. He was terrified and he was slowing Leon down, forcing him to split his attention haphazardly. Leon fired six shots into the crowd with a shotgun, but had no time to reload it, using it instead to literally bash the head of the nearest infected in order to beat it away from his useless companion. 

“Damn it - I need you to- ” his protection detail, or whoever the man was, took off running. He followed the trail of bodies Leon’s shots had left in their wake, and made a mad scramble for a ladder leading up to the observation deck. “ _ Help me,  _ you bastard,” Leon finished furiously. 

The Tyrant rushed forwards and Leon threw himself into the crowd of infected, avoiding the Tyrant even as he now faced the clawing hands and teeth of the lesser BOWs. He struck out hard and fast, but it was obvious he’d be overrun in moments. And even despite that, when a BOW got too close to where his companion was scrambling up the ladder, Leon threw his knife into the head of the monster attacking his companion, rather than using it to protect himself. 

“Get him some cover fire,  _ now! _ ” Chris shouted, and his men fell into position. 

Bullets rained down on the herd. Chris dropped to one knee and aimed his gun pointedly at the ones nearest Leon. He picked them off one after another, careful to avoid Leon as he fought desperately against the onslaught. One of Chris’ men reached out and helped pull Leon’s companion to safety, and now that the crowd had thinned, Leon was finally able to pay better attention to the Tyrant that was now solely focussed on him and him alone. 

It charged towards him and Leon dove to the side. Stumbling over the piles of the dead. Something twisted wrong, and Leon yelped in pain. Still, he pushed himself back to his feet, diving again when the Tyrant swung back around. 

“You have to get me out of here!” Leon’s companion pleaded, screaming and shouting, throwing himself at members of Chris' unit as his hysteria grew. 

Chris lined up a shot against the Tyrant, but two hands pulled at his arm roughly as his finger squeezed on the trigger. One of his men went to pull the civilian off him, but the damage was done. Leon didn’t even scream. Just fell to the ground with a choked breath of air, forcing its way out of his lungs and driving him to his knees. 

Chris’s men pinned the civilian in an instant, even as he snapped for them to get him under control. Throwing himself as close to the railing as he could, Chris looked over to see where Leon had fallen. Blood was soaking Leon’s right shoulder, and he was curled around the limb in agony. The Tyrant roared triumphantly and Leon twisted to look at it. He scrambled, desperation pushing him to try to do  _ something _ . Chris lifted his gun and fired, putting everything he had into the Tyrant’s back. It twisted towards them and started to stride forward. 

The civilian screamed hysterically in response. “Why would you do that! Why would you make it look over here! Oh my God, oh my God!” 

Three members of Chris’ unit lifted their guns in unison and aimed at the creature’s head. They opened fire immediately, peppering it rapidly. 

It wasn’t enough, it crouched low just as there was a brief break to reload, and Chris prepared for another volley when he caught sight of Leon moving out of the corner of his eye. Back on his feet, Leon took seven quick strides and then leapt onto the creature’s back. It reached back to snatch him off him, but it was too late. Leon had reclaimed his knife from the skull of the first BOW, and now he slammed it to the hilt into the Tyrant’s head, striking its brain and rendering it dead. It didn't matter. The Tyrant's arm had already been swinging toward Leon's body, and it struck him off even as the Tyrant fell to the ground. Leon went flying, back hitting the wall and blood splattering at  the point of contact. 

As the Tyrant crumpled, motionless and thoroughly destroyed, so did Leon. 

“Damn it to hell.” Hitting the safety back on his rifle, and tossing it over his shoulder, Chris rushed towards the ladder. He slid down it as fast as he could, and hit the ground running. “Leon!” Coming to his knees at Leon’s side, he looked down at the mess he’d made. Leon had been wearing a vest, but the bullet caught him high on the strap. It had slowed, but hadn’t stopped completely. Blood streamed down his shoulder and onto the floor beneath him. It wasn’t the only wound, though. Leon seemed covered in them. Blood coated the back of his head, his hands, and from what Chris could see, there were three prominent bite marks on his throat, right arm, and left leg. 

Instinct had Chris’ hand twitch towards his gun, but memory forced him to wait. Leon had the vaccine by now, and he was given booster shots on an almost obsessive basis. He was immune to the T-virus. Whether his body could handle the strain of fighting back against the virus considering the hell he’d been through, remained to be seen. 

“Leon?” Chris asked, shifting so the bites couldn’t be easily seen by anyone else. The last thing they needed was for anyone to panic over nothing. He reached for his first aid spray and immediately starting to aim it towards the bites first. It wouldn’t close them completely, it never could, these would scar ugly and awful against his skin, but it would close them and give them time to heal. 

“Leon?” Chris asked again, moving on to the bullet wound in his shoulder. He wasn’t a surgeon, and he was certain the bullet was still there. This would hurt. Hissing unhappily, he ran a hand down Leon’s back, struggling to feel through the vest if any bones were out of place. 

From behind him, he could hear two members of his team securing the area around him so he could work. The rest were up with whoever the idiot was that Leon had risked his life trying to keep safe. Chris could vaguely hear him shouting still, ignoring whichever poor bastard got stuck babysitting him. 

Carefully removing his vest, Chris tried once more to get a better read on Leon’s back. It was fine. His head, however, had a firm goose-egg on it and that wasn’t going down anytime soon. Aiming the first-aid spray to the knot, Chris set to work. It was a sloppy patch job and he wish he had more time and experience to do right, but it was the best they could do for now. 

Five minutes later, Leon stirred. His groaned, eyes squeezing and opening slowly. He coughed, blood bubbling up from his lungs. His fingers twitched and his eyes fluttered. “Come on...come on thatta boy…” Chris urged.

“Ch...ris…?” Leon coughed, opening his eyes at long last and staring at him. They were bloodshot. Bruises had started to form on the sides of his face from where the swelling had spread. Chris nodded even as he helped him sit up, trying desperately to ignore the fact that Leon was only alive because the BSAA happened to be here today. 

“Leon, didn’t your mother ever tell you to only pick on someone your own size?” Chris teased, hoping to engage in Leon’s select sense of humor. It earned him a bleak look back. One of Leon’s eyes kept sliding to the right, and Chris grimaced. If the retina detached from that blow to the head, Leon was going to need a lot more than a quick trip to the local clinic. “How’s your vision?” he asked. 

“Not...good,” Leon replied. “You’re...furry…” Leon made a face. “Worry... _ blurry _ .” 

_“That’s_ not good,” Chris muttered quietly. He turned towards his point-man watching their six. “Jackson, get on the horn. Tell them we have a medical emergency, and I need a chopper yesterday.” 

Leon’s hand was cold against his wrist, but his fingers were surprisingly firm as they took hold. “Ashley?” 

“What?” Frowning, Chris adjusted his grip so he could help support Leon better. 

“President’s son, supposed to...get her out...she was right here. He safe?” Leon’s head kept tilting to the side, and he couldn’t seem to keep himself upright. 

“The man you were protecting?” Chris asked, trying to make sense of Leon’s babbling. 

“Yes,” Leon agreed. “She’s annoying.” 

“Who? Ashley Graham or that idiot upstairs?” 

“Omar,” Leon concluded. “Ashley’s nice. Boiled, but nice.” 

“Spoiled?” 

“Yeah,” his eyes were fluttering shut again, and enough was enough. Jackson finished his call to the med evac, and they needed to go now. 

“Get me a rope set up, we’re not getting him over that ladder,” Chris ordered. 

His men fell into line immediately. A quick rope harness was strung together in seconds, and within two minutes he had it wrapped around their bodies. He kept one arm securely looped around Leon’s back and the other steadying them upright as they were pulled up to the navigation deck. The improvised harness burned against his legs, and he could tell that it was chafing something awful against the jeans that Leon was wearing. Whoever had outfitted him for this mess really should have invested in some nicer gear. 

When they got to the deck, they had the rope packed away after another five minutes. The civilian was finally somewhat calmed down and was only being secured by a tight hand on his shoulder. “Why are we waiting for him? We should  _ go _ , they could be back any time!” 

“We’re waiting for him because he’s a God-damn human being who just risked his life to save yours,” Chris snapped. “Show some appreciation.” 

“I never wanted to take this path to begin with. I  _ told _ him not to.” 

“Who the hell are you anyway?” Chris asked.

“Omar Shariff, my father-”

“Is the lead scientist of Roxon Pharmaceuticals, he was working on an antidote for the T-virus that could reverse all effects and return a BOW to a state of normalcy.” Chris had been reading about it for weeks. It would have been fantastic news for agents during the war. Finally they could stop  _ killing  _ people and start  _ saving _ them. 

“Yes! Which means that I’m the most important person in this room, so we should be leaving  _ now! _ ” 

“Was that Leon’s mission? To get your spoiled ass out of here?” It made a twisted kind of sense. Leon’s earlier mishap with Ashley was obvious. He’d confused Omar with her because the situation was eerily similar. He was sent to a volatile region to protect the child of a high profile person. Hell, from that report he’d given, he’d been smacked around pretty solidly throughout his rescue back then too. 

“ _ Spoiled?  _ I’ll have you know-”

“Save it,” Chris bit out. “I’m not Leon, and we don’t have to cater to you right now.” He’d never shot someone on his own team before, and until Leon’s blood was off his hands, he wasn’t going to be forgiving Omar any time soon. 

Leon’s consciousness was fleeting. He leaned heavily against Chris’ body, head resting against his shoulder as his legs all but gave out underneath him. Every so often he coughed badly and blood slipped out from his lips again. His lung was punctured, or there was a tear somewhere in his throat or mouth. They needed to get to that chopper now. The rest of the mission could wait. 

“Jackson, you’ve got point. Tom, Matt, and Louis, you take up the rear. Donnelly you’re with his highness up by Jack, and I’ve got Leon, any questions?” His men didn’t. 

“You know him?” Omar asked.

“He’s one of the best Agents the US government has in dealing with situations like this, and you nearly got him killed. Yeah, I know him. Shut up and start walking.” 

Leon started shivering in his grasp. This was going to be a long walk out, and Leon wasn’t doing it on his own two feet. “Sorry, kid, this is going to hurt,” Chris warned, before hoisting Leon up and into a fireman’s carry. Leon gasped, and Chris felt his fingers scratching and digging at the straps on Chris’ vest, but eventually he keened. It was for the best. He didn’t need to be conscious for this. 

They moved slowly, carefully, but methodically. They checked each corner, carefully, listening for BOWs or any other person in the area. There was nothing. Just like there hadn’t been anything coming down. This area was still secure. 

Chris kept one eye on Leon and the other on Omar’s back. His pallor only got worse with each passing second. Bruises were starting to become more pronounced, and the bite on his neck was livid. It was going to get infected. He’d be lucky if he didn’t end up septic after all of this. “Don’...shoot…” Leon gasped quietly. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not. We’re getting you out.” 

“In...in…” the word was a garbled mess and Chris couldn’t understand it. 

“It’s okay. Just a bit longer.” 

“We should just leave him behind,” Omar decreed. 

“You shut your mouth,” Donnelley snapped. “Show some respect.” 

“I respect those who deserve it. That  _ hack _ nearly got me killed.” 

“That hack is one of the rare survivors of Raccoon City,” Chris snapped. “That hack has been fighting BOWs for a decade, and is the personal guard, liaison, confidante, and lead response agent to the United States President when it comes to BOWs and bioterrorism. He reports directly  _ to  _ the President of the United States. So before you start throwing out opinions, learn who the hell you’re talking about.” 

“He’s barely an adult,” Omar scoffed, though he’d started to grow pale during Chris’ tirade.

“Yeah. He is. He’s still the best agent the government has on staff. He saved your life. It might just cost him his own. Think about that for a bit. He spent ten years of his life fighting against bioterrorism and doing it without getting beat to hell, and one day with you ends like this.”

“You’re the one who shot him,” Omar muttered mutinously. Chris never had the chance to do anything. Donnelley rose his gun up and smacked Omar solidly on the back of his head. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground, and Donnelley wasted no time picking him up and carrying him. 

“Better than listening to him,” he ground out. Chris could have imagined it, but he thought he heard Leon chuckle quietly from where he hung. 

The rest of the journey went on quickly and without interruption. A chopper was there the moment they hit topside, and immediately the responders hurried out to meet them. Chris carefully moved Leon onto the stretcher they provided, and ran through what he knew so far. His speech and memory lapses, his vision impairment, his bullet wound and suspected punctured lung. He hesitated before giving them the last bit of information. They needed to know. 

“He’s been vaccinated and gotten all the booster shots recently, but he was bit three times,” he told them quickly. 

“We have another booster we can give him on the chopper, but the vaccine should hold through. We’ll take it from here.” Chris stepped back and watched as they hurried, boarding the chopper and preparing to work on him. It was the next bit that he hated to do. 

“Matt, go with them.” 

“Sir?” 

“If he wakes up, and for whatever reason that vaccine doesn’t hold…” Leon would need to be neutralized, and Chris didn’t want to be the one to pull that trigger. Matt’s lips pressed together, and he nodded solemnly. 

“Yes, sir.” He hurried to board. 

“And keep Omar from doing anything!” 

“It’ll be my pleasure,” Matt told him with a salute. 

~*~*~

Chris didn’t make it back to town for another eight hours. They’d returned to the facility and found the information they were looking for. It had led to one fight after another after another. His entire team was bloody and exhausted and they just wanted to go home. It was awful and irritating, and by the time they reached topside once more, Chris was ready to sleep for a month. 

They flew out to the temporary base set up outside of the city, and from there they hopscotched over to various hospitals and fly-out zones. Chris dragged himself through the doors of the Emergency Room by sheer tenacity alone. He found Leon’s room, got a cursory report that Leon was responding to antibiotics, and was going to pull through, and then promptly passed out in an uncomfortable chair at Leon’s bedside. 

He woke up, nearly an hour later, to Leon struggling to get out of the bed. “Hey-hey- _ hey!”  _ He put a hand on Leon’s arm and forced him to lay back down. “What’s the matter with you?” 

“I got bit.” That was remarkably more lucid than it had been only hours before. Impressive. 

“You’re vaccinated. You’re fine.”

“No-no, I got bit. I got- I need to- I need to - I-” he was fighting back now. Swatting at Chris and shivering violently under his touch. His eyes were blown wide, and Chris grit his teeth. He moved to try to push Leon down more firmly, and got a heel palm to the nose for his efforts. 

Leon was up off the bed and crashing to the floor only seconds later. He scrambled. Alarms went off, and nurses rushed in. “Stop!” Chris shouted, getting between them. “I got this, he’s fine. Just get back.”

“Sir, you need to let us-”

“He thinks he’s  _ turning _ , so  _ get back! _ ” Chris snapped. It was enough of a shock that they actually paused. Leon had scuttled until his back was against the wall. He had one hand pressed to his throat, the other was still bound haphazardly to his side in a tight sling. “Leon. Leon, do you know who I am?” Damn if the kid didn’t look terrified right now. His bloodshot eyes were still burst red, and the bruising only made him look like death. It took him far too long to recognize him, his mouth opening and closing uselessly before he finally closed his eyes and tucked his chin to his chest. 

“Chris?” he all but whispered. 

“Yeah, yeah Leon. It’s me.” Slowly crawling forwards, he pressed a hand against Leon’s knee. “Listen, you were vaccinated. You’re not going to turn. Okay? You’re fine. You’re going to be fine.”

“I got bit,” Leon repeated, squeezing his throat tight. 

“Yeah, you did. You’re going to be okay, though. Okay. You know I wouldn’t lie to you about this. You know that I wouldn’t let you hurt anyone else. You  _ know  _ that.” 

“I know that.” 

Nodding, he inched forward. Closer and closer until he was leaning against the wall and they sat shoulder to shoulder. He put an arm around Leon’s back and tugged him so he was leaning against him. He was shivering badly, and Chris motioned for one of the nurses to get him a blanket. She handed it to Chris wordlessly and he draped it over Leon’s body. 

“I’m going to sit right here, okay? I’m going to sit right here, and I’ve got my gun, and if you need it - I’ll take care of you okay? But until that moment, until that moment, you’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay, and I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you, and I won’t let you hurt anyone else. You’re going to be okay.” 

“I got bit,” he repeated. Chris took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. He hugged him tighter. If he ever saw Omar Shariff again, he was going to kill him. 

“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”

Leon shook his head feebly, but didn’t pull away. He stayed pressed against Chris’ side, eyes closed and hand still pressed tight to the bite mark on his neck. Chris had never done this before. He’d never had to talk down one of his men from feeling as though they had turned and there was no coming back. He was frightened. Terrified. 

How many more people were going to lose their lives and their minds to monsters and BOWs alike. “When this is all over...you should tell Adam you’re taking a break for a while. Go on vacation somewhere nice. Maybe settle down...find a girl?”

“Found one already.” It wasn’t the answer that Chris had been expecting, but he remembered that phone call from years ago. The girl Leon had teased about tracking him down. 

“Yeah? What’s her name?” Chris asked. Leon was shivering again, and he rubbed his arm in an attempt to keep him warm. 

“Ada…” 

“Yeah? That’s a nice name. She sweet on you too?” 

“Don’ know...sometimes? It’s complicated…”

“Well when you get back on your feet...why don’t you track her down? Make it uncomplicated?” 

“Promise me...promise me you won’t let me turn.” 

“I got you, kid. I got you.” 

They stayed like that well until morning. The nurses passed Chris herbs and medicines and he gave them to Leon carefully one by one. The bruises went down, the cuts healed. His head injury was getting better. His vision was still blurry but it was healing. His speech was getting more consistent as well. 

The fear stayed constant. It was always there, like a cancer, growing until it could not be ignored. Leon covered the injury on his throat obsessively, paranoid and constantly waiting for the moment when the virus took hold of him for good. 

Chris talked him down. Each time. He sat with him, asked him questions about his girl, kept him focussed on the future, on good things. He kept the conversation going, and when Leon stopped talking, he kept talking for both of them. “It’s going to be okay. I promise you.”

“Just keep lying,” Leon asked him. 

“It’s not a lie. It’s true.” 

Four days later, when the US Government came to pick Leon up and bring him back to the states, Chris saw him off. His head was bent low and he still looked like death, but he was alive. He hadn’t turned. He wasn’t going to. 

Leon was going home, and this time, he was going to get a mandatory rest in order to heal. He needed it. 

And Chris? Chris was going to Kijuju. 

____________________________

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man

I would do my part,

Yet what I can I give Him,

Give my heart.

____________________________

###  Technically speaking,

Chris met Leon one more time prior to meeting him at a nondescript bar in the middle of the Eastern Slav Republic. Het met him on a causeway in China, where Leon fought hard and fast and aimed his gun at Chris’ head and told him that he’d fight to defend a murderous, traitorous, bitch because she was a  _ witness _ . 

Chris’s head was still scrambled then, still struggling to work out what he wanted to do and what was happening around him. He didn’t make the connections that he should have made. And even as he promised Leon he’d do the right thing, even as he chased after that God damned  _ whore _ , it didn’t register exactly  _ who  _ Ada Wong was until he saw her fall to her death. 

Ada. 

_ Leon’s _ Ada. 

He’d promised he’d keep her alive, and he failed. 

He supposed it was just-desserts when the missile went off and he was screaming for Leon to get the hell out of Tatchi. He’d thought, for one blinding moment, that he was going to lose another ally, another friend, just as soon as he remembered he’d had a friend in the first place. But Leon had survived, and they’d gone on to complete their respective missions. 

And now, here they were. In a bar someplace that was best left forgotten. Leon was resting his head on the heel of his palm and was looking down at his scotch with a slight grin on his face. After everything that had happened with the President and Tall Oaks, Chris had been worried it’d tear him apart. He’d looked so broken and frayed in China that Chris hadn’t known what to expect. 

But apparently, the death of Simmons and the President, and the freedom of Sherry, had really only meant one thing - Leon was free to chose for himself what kind of life he wanted to have. He had told Hunnigan he wanted time off, indefinitely, and she’d agreed. Apparently Helena Harper was taking his old position while he was on furlough. She was happy to serve, to make up for past sins. He was happy to meet up with an old friend for a drink. 

“She’s not dead,” Leon said suddenly, sipping down the last of his scotch and settling the glass onto the counter. 

“What?” Chris asked him. 

“Ada. She’s not dead.” 

“I saw her fall-”

“Simmons was obsessed with her, Ada I mean. You could say that he was a bit...pathological about it. He used the C-Virus to turn his assistant into a clone of Ada. Looked and acted the same...but a different person at heart. A different person where it mattered.” 

“The girl who killed my men…”

“Carla. It wasn’t Ada. It never was.” Leon turned and looked at him full on. “Can I ask you something, Chris?” 

“Anything,” Chris told him sincerely. 

“You thought about retiring once, didn’t you?” 

“Yes. During Tatchi...I thought about it.”

“Why didn’t you?” 

“Because I owed it to all my men to keep fighting. To keep pressing on...to save as many lives as I could. Until the fight was over.” 

Leon nodded. “You know I thought...for the longest time that that’s what I had to do. Keep picking up that gun...keep fighting.” 

“Not anymore?” 

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. Haven’t really had the time until now.” 

“You getting out of the game?” Chris asked. Leon shrugged. 

“Maybe, maybe not. I’m thinking about joining a new game.” His phone let out a merry chirp and he reached for it. Flipping it open, Chris just had time to see one name flash across the screen, along with a single message. 

_ Done saying goodbye? _

_ Why? Worried I won’t leave? _ Leon typed back. Then, smiling at Chris, he stood up and slid his phone back in his pocket. He took a few bills out and tossed it on the counter. 

“Leon,” Chris called out, reaching towards him. Leon stayed still under Chris’ hand, and waited patiently for him to continue. “Is she worth it?” 

“I don’t know, but I’m willing to find out.” His phone chirped again, but this time Leon didn’t look at it. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.” 

“You’ll be safe?” 

“Safe as I can.” He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him. When Chris opened it, he frowned at the long string of numbers that covered the page from edge to edge. 

“If you ever need to find me, that’s where I’ll be.” Chris’ head snapped up. The trackers. Leon had given him the homing beacon on his trackers. So someone lost can be found. Chris took a step forward, then another, then he tugged Leon to his chest in a fierce embrace. 

“Stay in touch, kid. You got that?” 

“Sure, didn’t know you were such a softie Chris,” Leon teased. 

“Hell, you’re family. I’m always a sucker for family.” 

“Family?” Leon repeated, eyes wide.

“Yeah...family.” Then, feeling oddly sentimental, he gave Leon another firm squeeze before letting him go. “Which means you and...your lady friend have no excuse for missing Thanksgiving and the Redfields next November. Okay...brother?”

“Y-yeah. Yeah, okay. I’ll ask.” His phone chirped again. 

“Get going. And...take care of yourself Leon.” 

“I will. Besides...I’ve got Thanksgiving to think of.” Leon smiled brightly, and then held out his hand. “See you around... _ brother _ .” 

“See you around,” Chris echoed back, shaking his hand one final time. He watched as Leon turned and stepped out of the bar. A yellow convertible was waiting for him, and a black haired woman was in the driver’s seat. Leon hopped the door and settled into the seat. He grinned at her, and she turned and grinned at him. Ada Wong. Alive and well, and taking Leon for a joyride. 

The engine revved, and they zoomed down the street. Faster, faster, faster - then they were gone. Chris watched as the car disappeared into the distance. Leon may not have been his most frequent friend, but it felt right calling him family. It felt right knowing that he was a part of his life now and in the future. 

Everything else could wait. They could deal with the rest. No matter what it was. 


End file.
